MCCANNS - THE CASE AGAINST THE POLITICIANS

In my honest opinion, I think there was a major 'Oops'  moment in Downing Street, when the missing Madeleine story was called in.  It was early hours of the morning, and everyone who responded was acting on pure emotion - a little English girl had been abducted (why not kidnapped?), it was a case of act first, think later.

 

I am sure within days, the PM etc, were made aware of the suspicions surrounding the parents, but it would have been hugely unpopular if they suddenly withdrew their support.  Instead, they went with it.  Capitalising on the huge public response to this case, it brought home the dangers of the internet (yeh, I know), and the dangers of random strangers stealing toddlers from their beds as if it were a clear and present danger with all children at risk.  

 

Blair, it would seem decided to continue with the lie, by providing the McCanns with a Government press spokesman.  However, there is not a cut and dry case against Blair.  He could say, that with the limited information he had, he chose to give the parents the benefit of the doubt and that would not be unreasonable.

 

However, by July of 2007, Blair et al, appear to have stepped back and Clarence Mitchell appears to have gone rogue.  That is, he was no longer working for the government, he was working for the McCanns.  I believe his fees were being paid by one of their benefactors.

 

One of the most significant interviews later in the summer was with Vanity Fair.  Gerry, and probably Clarence too, thought they were talking 'off the record', hence we have the ghoulish 'marketing ploy' from Gerry and the admission by Clarence that government ministers wouldn't speak to them!They were offered 'low level' consular assistance, but they wanted a lot more and clearly weren't getting it.

 

The case against Blair.  On the one hand it is admirable that Downing Street responded so quickly, and so unreservedly, to the plight of Gerry and Kate McCann.  Kudos to them on being a compassionate government, but how come they never sent spokesmen etc to any other British citizens abroad?  Regardless, that goes into the whole 'class' issue, no government assistance was offered to Karen Matthews. 

 

There is a saying, that I really must look up, 'if someone shows you who they are, believe them'.  Clarence, feeling the same hurt and rejection as Gerry, wanted outrage at the fact that the politicians weren't listening to them.  An error on the part of Clarence, because their stance at the time, was that everyone believed them and everyone supported them.  Only haters questioned the abduction story.

 

I think the involvement of British expert Mark Harrison changed the dynamic of the investigation.  He advised the Portuguese police to investigate the parents and he advised bringing in the blood and cadaver dogs.  I think from then on, the McCanns or should I say, Team McCann were on their own.

 

Those claiming that this case remains unsolved because of the involvement of powerful politicians, don't seem to understand politics.  In this country, we have a democracy, and hard as it may seem to believe, politicians are not above the Law. 

 

Let's look at this logically.  Begin with who are these politicians who are perverting the course of justice?  PMs and Home Secretaries have limited tenure.  Any crimes they indulge in, end with them.  They are not passed on to their successors.  The timeline of this case has seen several changes of government.  And changes in leadership of police agencies, such as CEOP.  Each comes with their own set of values and ideals.  No-one comes to office thinking the first thing I must do is ensure no-one investigates Gerry and Kate. 

 

I don't think any MP or former MP has linked themselves to Team McCann, that is, no-one has raised questions on their behalf in the House of Commons.  Except of course, during the Leveson era when senior Labour MPs were supporting the McCanns' quest for press censorship.  That apart, it is a sensitive subject.  Any MP questioning the funding of Operation Grange for example, would immediately be shut down by cries of 'shame on you'.  It is probably fair to say most MPs support Gerry and Kate (quietly), without actually knowing why.  Except, maybe, they cannot grasp that clean living, church going, middle class professionals could possibly have anything to do with a heinous crime.  And that's scary.

 

But back to Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and New Labour's support for the crime of the century.  How do they wriggle out.  Well, pretty much as I explained above, innocent until proven guilty and all that.  But.  Who put pressure on the Portuguese police to 'go easy' on the McCanns (thereby losing most of the evidence)?  Who put pressure on the Portuguese police to remove Goncalo Amaral?  Arguably, the moment the case was derailed? It is understandable that PMs Blair and Brown, wanted to show support for Madeleine's parents, but another thing entirely if they interfered in the original investigation.